European Union wants car makers to reduce noise levels

The cars sold here are mostly mini and compact cars with tiny engines that you barely can hear them running. Why don't green activists find something to constantly b!tch about is beyond me. Specially at these times when car makers are having a hard time selling their products.

If greenies really want to save the planet, the should stop breathing. It's polluting.

The European Union wants to adopt a new set of regulations to lower car noise levels.

These aren't the first regulations regarding permissible noise levels we've heard of, but members of the green, liberal and socialist factions part of EU's Environment Committee want to take things to a new level. The new legislation says car makers will have to lower noise emissions by half within the next seven years.

The legislation was approved by a margin of just one vote, and it doesn't include any sort of exceptions for high-performance vehicles. Speaking of sports cars, Judith Merkies who's a Dutch EU member from the Labour Party said these vehicles are the worst polluters.

For this stricter final version of the legislation to be adopted, it will have to be voted by the EU and Council in March 2013. Even if it will be approved, implementation will take a while especially nowadays when the European automotive industry is going through some difficult times.If they really want to do this, maybe they should start with motorcycles which are generally a lot louder than cars.